Various proposals have been made for mounting a rearward-facing video camera on a motor vehicle and displaying images obtained from the camera on a video display installed in the forward viewing area of the driver. For example, the video display can be incorporated into the instrument panel, or configured as a head-up display as suggested in the U.S. Pat. No. 5,414,439 to Groves et al. Frequently, the objective is to provide the driver a view that is superior to usual semi-obstructed views obtained from conventional interior and exterior rear view mirrors when the vehicle is being operated in reverse.
The aforementioned display arrangements are usually designed for a limited purpose, such as to reveal in-path obstructions immediately behind the vehicle, and therefore display only a portion of the scene a driver should visually scan when operating in reverse. This can be a problem with drivers that tend to over-rely on the displayed video image, and neglect to use other standard equipment such as the interior and exterior rear view mirrors that present a significantly wider viewing angle. Accordingly, what is needed is a rear view video display control that discourages excessive driver reliance on the video display when the vehicle is being operated in reverse.